Navy Dirk

[Leroy]

Hi all. Question about a Naval Dirk on ebay. Would this be considered "nihonto"? Or in the same catagory as the Mantestu blades? The decription says is was made from the gun of a battleship. It's an interesting peice with probably an interesting history.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Japanese-Samurai-Sw ... dZViewItem

 

Cheers!

Leroy

[bdgrange]

This is Hideaki a major gendai smith who's work is worth much money when the signature is correct.

AOI art has one for sale dated 1931, also a tanto.

Tanto are rare among gendaito.

The yasurime are poorly done with the one listed by e-bay.

AKA Toshihide

He did a number of pieces with steel from the Mikasa.

Soughs book pg. 174.

The seller here is a good person.

 

best

Bill Delagrange

[SSt]

Hi Leroy

There is a thread somewhere on this site in which a poster mentions that the NBTHK has refused to paper a piece made from Mikasa steel, and also that the NTHK has papered Mikasa steel pieces! Confused? Me too.

Run a search for Mikasa.

 

From the Mikasa guns Hideaki made 229 swords,

973 "grade Ko" dirks with blades inscribed ;

"the fate of a Japanese Empire is decided by this battle" which was Admiral Togo's flag message to the fleet when the battle began.

He also made 451 "grade Otsu" dirks made that had no inscription on the blade, the dirk listed on eBay is one of these.

 

Check out this website for details of Hideaki and Mikasa steel.

http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~t-ohmura/gunto_002.htm

[bdgrange]

Hi Steve

 

What is grade ko?

What is grade otsu?

 

tks

Bill D

[SSt]

Hi Bill

I believe that, loosely translated, it means first and second grade.

 

F.Y.I.

Aoi-Art has three tanto's by this smith for sale.

item Tanto#8 - Hideaki, August 1931 - JPY 450,000

item Tanto 05066 - Toshihide, February 1937 - JPY 450,000

item Tanto 06266 - Toshihide, August 1942 - JPY 650,000

The last is not in the "Tanto" section, run a search for "Toshihide" and it appears.

[bdgrange]

Perhaps as a last note.

I was just informed that the NBTHK no longer considers these to be

true nihonto, with all that this implies. The problem being the steel from the Mikasa, built by Vickers. No papers for one thing.

 

 

best

 

Bill Delagrange